Composite stoppers



March 9, 1965 G. HONNORAT COMPOSITE STOPPERS Filed Dec. 6, 1962 UnitedStates Patent 2 Claims. ((11. 215-48) This invention relates tocomposite stoppers for bottles and similar containers. The use of knownground-glass stoppers which ensure a very satisfactory tightness hasalmost been abandoned for small bottles such as perfume bottles, becausethese stoppers are expensive to produce and do not allow for theinterchangeability of the stoppers and the bottles.

Already, various closure devices have been proposed to remedy thesedisadvantages. Some known devices comprise the combination of a plug ofsoft and resilient material, for securing in the neck of the bottle, anda cap adapted to be screwed to the outside of the bottle to cover thisplug after it has been placed in position, and to help retain it inposition in the neck. Other devices comprise a stopper with a bodyportion for enlargement in the neck of the bottle, the body portionbeing covered with a layer of resilient material.

Of the devices mentioned above, the former type, while ensuringsatisfactory tightness, is diflicult to handle, since the plug is notconnected to the cap, cannot be easily gripped and, moreover, is easilymislaid. Devices of the other type, while being integral and thus moreeasy to handle, suffer from the disadvantage that they do not ensure aperfectly tight fit of the body portion of the stopper, owing to thelack of resilience of the layer of material applied to the latter.

The object of the present invention is to provide a stopper having aconstruction such as to remedy these disadvantages, that is to say astopper which allows for easy handling and yet ensures efficient closureof the bottle.

To achieve this object, the invention provides a composite stopper forbottles or similar containers comprising a substantially rigid memberfitting a flexible walled hollow member, the latter forming a plug tofit a neck to be stoppered with compression and deformation of the plugand the former providing a finger grip for the stopper and itself havinga plug portion for penetration of the said hollow plug member but beingspaced from the inner wall thereof to allow of the specifieddeformation.

According to one embodiment of the invention, the hollow member is inthe form of a thin-walled cylindrical or slightly conical cup and madeof rubber, plasticised polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, or similarmaterial; the member forming the finger grip of the stopper comprises anextension projecting into the cup-shaped portion and having a diametersmaller than the latter so that there exists an annular clearancebetween the inner wall of the cup and the said extension which clearancepermits the free resilient deformation of the cup wall after itsengagement in the neck; the two parts of the stopper are connected toone another by means of a circular flange pro vided on the inner wall ofthe cup which resiliently engages a groove provided in the said rigidmember, the joint between flange and groove being situated at a point onthe stopper to be located above the bottle neck.

In order to prevent the rotation of the member providing the finger griprelatively to the member forming the plug, the invention providesfor'the flange as well as the above-mentioned groove to be given anon-circular section.

Finally, the finger grip may be decorated as desired.

The invention is illustrated by way of example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of a bottle neck closed by a compositestopper.

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 11-11 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 1, showing a modified embodiment ofstopper.

FIG. 4 is a section along the line IVIV of FIG. 3.

Referring to the drawings, a composite stopper comprises a flexible plugmember 1 and a substantially rigid member 2.

The member 1 is constituted by a cup-shaped envelope the wall 3 of whichhas an outer diameter such that its engagement in the neck 4 of a bottlecauses considerable friction at least in the zone of the smallestdiameter of the neck. The wall 3 terminates at the top in a collar 5having an inner flange 6.

The member 2 comprises a preferably tapered or ornamented finger grip 2awhich projects from the neck, and also has an extension 2b whichprojects inside the cup-shaped member 1; the diameter of this extension2b is smaller than the inner diameter of the cup, and this leavesbetween the two members an annular clearance 8 which permits freeresilient deformation of the body 3 when the stopper is pushed into theneck 4.

Between the finger grip 2a and the extension 2b of the member 2 isprovided an annular groove 9 in which the flange 6 engages in order tohold the members 1 and 2 together.

The tightness of closure which may be achieved by the stopper describedis very satisfactory owing to the fact that the wall 3 of the cup-shapedenvelope can be deformed without transmitting pressure to the extension211 of the member 2.

As the withdrawal of a stopper is often effected by a pulling actionaccompanied by a slight rotation, it is preferable to prevent anyrelative angular displacement between the cup-shaped envelope 3 and thefinger grip of the stopper.

To achieve this object it is provided, as can be seen from FIGS. 3 and4, for the groove in which the flange of the cup-shaped envelope engagesto have a non-circular, and for example a square section as shown at 9a,and for the flange to have the same shape, indicated at 6a.

It is also possible, although probably not as eflective, to flute thecircumference of the flange 6.

The plug member 1 is preferably made of polyethylene since this materialis suitably resilient and moreover is resistant to chemical attack fromcertain products such as perfumes.

The member 2-2a-2b may be made of glass or polystyrene,poly-methyl-methacrylate, metal etc., and may be shaped in the usualmanner for stoppers used for perfumes and pharmaceutical purposes.

If the member 2 is of solid polystyrene the extension 211 may constitutethe injection means, and this extension may be divided into sections ata below the groove 9 or 9a.

Obviously, modifications may be made to the above described embodiment,if desired. For example, the flange and groove 6, 9 or 6a, 9a connectingthe two members 1 and 2 may be replaced by any other form of connectionwhich allows plug member 1 to remain flexible while retaining it againstdisplacement, and preferably which also prevents the two members fromturning relatively to one another.

I claim:

1. A composite stopper for bottles and the like, comprising a rigidmember formed to provide a finger grip at its upper end and asubstantially cylindrical portion at its lower end, said member havingaperipheral groove separating the surfaces of said twoportions, and, ahollow, cup-shaped resilient bottle engaging member having asubstantially cylindrical wallformed with anrinwardlyprojectingperipheral bead at its open upper end, said bead projecting into saidgroove and embracing said rigid member without possibility of axial orcircumferential relative displacement of said two members, .saidsubstantially cylindrical portion of said rigid member extending intosaid hollow member with substantial lateral clearance whereby the hollowmember-may be deformed laterally inwardly without contact of its:wal1with said cylindrical portion of said rigid member, the bottom of saidhollow cupshaped resilient member being spaced from the lower end of thesaid cylindrical portion.

2. A stopper as claimed in claim 1, in which said flange and said grooveare of corresponding non-circular form in order to limit relativerotation of said members.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 429,579 6/90Oliver et al 21552 592,879 11/97 Neuhaus 21548 1,064,544 6/13 Rosenfieldet al. 215-48 2,696,319 12/54 Menefee 21548 2,705,573 4/55 Zeppelovitch215-48 3,059,798 10/62 Darmstadt et al. 21548 3,070,251 12/62 Mangravite21548 3,073,473 1/63 Davidson 215-48 FOREIGN PATENTS 550,910 11/56Italy.

THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, Examiner.

1. A COMPOSITE STOPPER FOR BOTTLES AND THE LIKE, COMPRISING A RIGIDMEMBER FORMED TO PROVIDE A FINGER GRIP AS ITS UPPER END AND ASUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION AT ITS LOWER END, SAID MEMBER HAVING APERIPHERAL GROOVE SEPARATING THE SURFACES OF SAID TWO PORTIONS, AND AHOLLOW CUP-SHAPED RESILIENT BOTTLE-ENGAGING MEMBER HAVING ASUBSTANTIALLY CYLNDRICAL WALL FORMED WITH AN INWARDLY PROJECTINGPERIPHERAL BEAD AT ITS OPEN UPPER END, SAID BEAD PROJECTING INTO SAIDGROOVE AND EMBRACING SAID RIGID MEMBER WITHOUT POSSIBILITY OF AXIAL ORCIRCUMFERENTIAL RELATIVE DISPLACEMENT OF SAID TWO MEMBERS, SAIDSUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF SAID RIGID MEMBER EXTENDING INTOSAID HOLLOW MEMBER WITH SUBSTANTIAL LATERAL CLEARANCE WHEREBY THE HOLLOWMEMBER MAY BE DEFORMED LATERALLY INWARDLY WITHOUT CONTACT OF ITS WALLWITH SAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION OF SAID RIGID MEMBER, THE BOTTOM OF SAIDHOLLOW CUPSHAPED RESILIENT MEMBER BEING SPACED FROM THE LOWER END OF THESAID CYLINDRICAL PORTION.